Electric switch



ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Feb. 7 1920 jig;

Patented Jill s, 1924.

, UNITED STATES 1,500,887 PATENT OFFICE.

ARVID H. NERO, 0] NEW I BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE'ARROW ELEC- TBIC COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

merino swrrcn.

Application filed February 7, 1920. Serial No. 356,822.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ARVID H. Nnno, a citizen of the United btates of America, residing at New Britain, I in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in ElectricSwitches, of which the following is a specificationl My invention relates to electric switches, and particularly to switches of the push button type, the object of my invention being to provide a simple and inexpensive switch construction affording a wide break and quick snap action capable of safely controlling a current of much greater amplitude than is now possible in switches of this general type.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a switch in which my invention is embodied in one form;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a dropped perspective of certain elements of the switch mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the switch bar alone;

Fig. 6 is a perspective'of two of the switch terminals and their connecting bridge piece;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the other pair of switch terminals and the insulating plate associated therewith.

While the present mechanism may be mounted in an insulating casing of any suitable sort, I have here shown, for the sake of illustration, a body 10 of inverted cup shape, through the closed end of which pass the push buttons 11 and 12. These are guided by holes in the closed end of the body 10, and by the supporting yoke 13 which overlies this end of the body, and by the end lugs 14 and 15 of which the switch may be mounted in an outlet box in well understood manner. The yoke is held in position by screw bolts 16, which pass through the insulating body and also hold in place the metal closure plate 17 with its insulating lining 18, which overlie the open end of the body and complete the. housing of the switch elements arranged in the switch chamber.

The closed end of the insulating body 10 is recessed atits four corners to receive wire terminal plates-"19, which carry binding gled to shape.

22 and 23 are connected by a bridge piece 2.6, and, in the present construction, the latter overlies a ledge formed at the open end of the insulating body, and is held in place beneath the heads of the screw 'bolts 21 for the switch terminals 22 and 23.

' The switch mechanism is mounted upon a switch frame struck from sheet metal and comprising a pair of securing wings 27 and 28, which rest against the closed end of the insulating body 10 and are held in place by screws29 passing through the said end and entering tapped holes 30 in the lugs. Offset inward from the lugs 27 and 28 is adepressed skeleton web 31 extending longitudinally of the switch chamber and punched out toleave a bridge 32 between the end sections of the web. Oppositely offset from the wings 27 is a pair of ears 33 pierced to afford bearings 34. A cross pin 35, engaged in the bearings 34, forms the axis of the rocker 36 struck from sheet metal and an? At its inner end are offset lugs 37 which afi'ord bearings for the switch yoke 38. Notches 39 in the upper ends of the legs of the latter form open bearings which engage the lugs 37 of the rocker. While the switch yoke may be struck from metal, I have here shown it'of insulation with a contact bar 40 mounted at the free end of the yoke and serving to span the switch terminals in the different positions of the switch.

To actuate the rocker 36 I provide push buttons 11 and 12 with downwardly extending push plates 41 and 42, which pass through and are rectilinearly guided in the slots 43 in the opposite ends of the depressed web of the switch frame. Jaws 44 are formed at the margins of these push button plates to engage the apertured wings 45 v of the rocker- 36. The snap action of the switch is secured by the switch s ring 46, one end of which engages lug 4 at the screws 20 and are held in position by screw free end of the switch yoke, while the other end is engaged in the bridge 32 of the frame. The joint between the rocker and the switch .yoke shifts from one side to the other of the point of suspension of the spring 46 on the bridge 32, with the result that the spring'tension is exerted to throw the switch yoke first in one direction and then in the opposite direction in a manner well understood in the art.

Associated with the two switch terminals 24 and 25 is a plate 50 of insulation. This plate is apertured at 48 to receive the offset ends 49 of the switch terminals, which thus engage and retain it in adjusted position. This plate acts as a barrier serving to quench the are which tends to form as the switch yoke leaves one or the other of these terminals. Its presence greatly increases the current breaking capacity of the switch.

The operation of the switch is readily understood. Upon depression of one or the other of push buttons 11 or 12 the rocker 36 is swung on its axis 35, thus shifting the hinge joint 37-39 between it and the switch yoke 38, across the fixed point vof'support of the switch spring 49 on the switch frame. The spring now exerts its effort upon the switch yoke in opposite direction and throws the latter from one position to the other. The switch yoke is halted by the impingement of its free end against the end wall of the switch cha1nber, and the switch terminals are so located that the switch bar 40 bridges one or the other pair. It will be noted that the switch buttons are rectilinearly guided in their movement and thus maintain a proper position with relation to the face plate (not shown), in addition to facilitating the operation of the switch mechanism. The metal parts are all of simple and economical construction, being readily shaped from sheet metal.

Various modifications in detail of construction will readily occur to those skilled in the art, which do not depart from what I claim as my invention.

I claim 1. An electric switch comprising a skeleton switch frame, having a web lying in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of oscillation of a rocker, said rocker being pivoted on said frame and passing through said web, a push button having a rockerengaging jaw extending in the plane of oscillation of said rocker and having a 'sliding engagement with the rocker to actuate the same, together with a guide member on said button passing through the frame to guide the button for rectilinear movement, together with a switch yoke pivoted on the rocker, and a switch spring extending between the free end of the switch yoke and the frame, substantially as described,

2. In an electric switch, a sheet metal switch frame havinga skeleton web, the opposite ends of which are pierced to afford guideways and connected by an integral -bridge piece, a U-shaped rocker, the legs of which are pivoted on said frame, and the web of which is provided with apertured wings extending in opposite directions therefrom, in combination with a pair of push buttons having shanks guided in the web of the frame and having laterally extending jaws embracing the wings of the rocker with a sliding operating connection, a switch bar yoke pivoted to the legs of the rocker, and a spring anchored to the bridge piece of the frame at one end, and connected at its other end to the switch bar yoke, the joint betweenthe fiocker and the switch bar yoke being shifted from one side to the other of the anchored switch spring on the actuation of the rocker by the push buttons.

3. In an electric switch, a switch frame having supporting wings tapped to receive securing screws, upwardly angled lugs recessed to afford a bearing, a depressed skeleton web having a bridge piece extending between the ends thereof, a rocker-pivoted on said lugs, and working within said frame between the ends of said depressed web, a switch yoke pivoted on said rocker, a switch spring secured at one end to the bridge of said depressed web, and at its other end ,to the switch yoke, and push buttons guided for rectilinear movement in the ends of the depressed web and engaging the rocker to shift the joint between the latter and the switch yoke from one slde to the other of the point of engagement between the switch spring and the bridge piece of the frame.

4. In a push button switch, a U-shape rocker, means engaging the legs of the rocker to afford a pivot therefor, together with apertured lugs extending from the web of the rocker in its plane of oscillation, and adapted to receive and make sliding connection with associated push'buttons for actuating the rocker, substantially as described. 1

5. In an electric switch, a cup shaped insulating body, wire terminals at the closed end of the cup, switch terminals supported at the open end of the cup and projecting into the switch chamber, and screw bolts passing through the body of the cup and serving to mechanically and electrically connect said wire and switch terminals. 6. In an electric switch, a cup shaped insulating body, wire terminals at the closed end of the cup, switch terminals supported at the open end of the cup and projecting into the switch chamber, and screw bolts passing throughthe body of the cup and serving to mechanically and electrically connect said wire and switch terminals, together with a bridge piece extending between a pair of said switch terminals at the open end of the cup and secured by said screw bolts.

7. In an electric switch, a cupshaped insulating body, wire terminals at the closed end of the cup, switch terminals supported at the open end of the cup and projecting into the switch chamber, and screw bolts passing through the body of the cup and serving to mechanically and electrically connect said wire and switchterminals, together with a bridge piece extending between a pair of said switch terminals at the open end of the cup and secured by said screw bolts, in combination with an insulated closure for the open end of said cup to complete the housing-in of the switch chamber.

8. In an electric switch, a cup shaped insulating body, switch terminals mounted on opposite sides of the chamber within the said body, a switch bar adapted to bridge said terminals, and means associated with one of said terminals serving to quench the are which tends to form on breaking connection with said switch bar.

9. In an electric switch, a cup shaped insulating body, a pair of switch terminals arranged within said chamber along one side thereof, and a plate of insulating material interposed between said wall and terminals and closely juxtaposed to the latter.

10. In an electric switch, a cup shaped insulating body, a pair of switch terminals arranged within said chamber along one side thereof, and a plate of insulating material interposed between said wall and terminals, and engaged by the latter.

11. In an electric switch, a cup shaped insulating body, a pair of spring switch terminals arranged within said chamber. along one side thereof, and a plate of insulating material interposed between said wall and terminals and closely juxtaposed to the latter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARVID H. NERO. 

